Explanation: These two moons change places. Epimetheus and Janus, two small moons of Saturn, actually switch positions as they orbit their home planet. The orbital radii of the moons are strangely separated by less than the radii of the moons themselves: about 50 kilometers. One moon orbits Saturn well ahead of the other, at first. As the two moons gravitationally attract, they approach each other and, every few years, actually pass and trade orbits. This strange dance creates speculation that Epimetheus and Janus were once joined and later split from each other. Pictured above, the two moons were photographed rounding their orbits just outside of Saturn's F ring. The above image was taken in early September by the robot Cassini spacecraft, also orbiting Saturn.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami: Epimetheus - Janus - Saturn - Saturn - sputniki Saturna - kol'ca Saturna Publikacii so slovami: Epimetheus - Janus - Saturn - Saturn - sputniki Saturna - kol'ca Saturna
Sm. takzhe: Saturn v infrakrasnom svete ot "Kassini" Polyarnoe siyanie vokrug severnogo polyusa Saturna Saturn noch'yu Luna zatmevaet Saturn Saturn u kraya Luny Cveta Saturna ot "Kassini" Stereo-Elena Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >>